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Tuesday, 26 August 2014

Isle of Islay - Final Birding Day

Well, what a holiday we had to this point, and now it was the last day. Where to go????

With a report of an Osprey up at Loch Gruinart RSPB the previous day, we thought we would go and give it a look. We arrived up at the reserve and walked the Woodland trail. We had a couple of Common Carpet moths which were nice...

Also lots of Green-veined White's along the path...

Also a Common Darter and a Meadow Brown.

We reached the first hide....Taigh Deas

We got a Snipe in this hide but not much else. However, I was scanning the dunes out the back and picked up a large raptor flying over the bay. I kept watching it, and then it dived into the water. It had to be an Osprey! Far too far away for a picture, but it was viewed closer from the second hide, Taigh Tuath, but still distant...

We then went up to Ardnave Point again, where we had the usual Chough, Raven, Shag, Gannet, Meadow Pipits, Swallows, Oystercatchers and Skylarks. We also had several Grayling too...

The last day was a wet day, so we didn't do much, but we did get a pair of Whinchat, Stonechat and a ringtail Hen Harrier which was great! We also got a Stag outside the cottage in the evening which was great, and a Whitethroat was a nice surprise too.

That is it then, our Islay Holiday of 2014! Hope you enjoyed reading the posts. Happy Birding!!

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About Me

Hi, I’m Ben, and I am a very keen birder. I first started birding when I was 6, and I am still going now at 16. I go birding in Suffolk (where I am based), Norfolk and annually Scotland. I have a patch near Ipswich, which attracts Little Ringed Plovers, other passage waders and occasional passage migrants. I've seen 3 MEGA's in my birding career: Spectacled Warbler, Little Crake and Harlequin Duck. I have also seen many rarities: too many to mention!. I also play golf, where I do a bit of birdwatching as well as the golf. When I leave school, I wish to work for the BTO.